---

Myrtle E. Cooper Johnson was born June 12, 1906, in Albia, Iowa, to William Henry and Emma Jane (Stice) Cooper.

At age six she moved with her family to the wild of northern Minnesota, settling on a farm near Pequot Lakes. She attended grade and high school there, graduating in 1923. During her teenage and college years she worked in the area at housekeeping and child care.

In 1924 she began attending St. Cloud Normal School, now St. Cloud State College, where she met her future husband who delivered milk to the college. Myrtle graduated from college with a two-year teaching certificate in 1926 and taught at several schools in the Pequot Lakes area.

She was married September 27, 1930, at the Presbyterian Parsonage in Brainerd, Minn. They lived on the family farm near the Reformatory in St. Cloud off and on until 1950 when they purchased the farm on Sunrise Lake near Lindstrom, Minn. Three boys were born to the family: Daryl, Berge Lynn, and Alan.

Myrtle returned to teaching and went back to St. Cloud State during the summers graduating with a Bachelors Degree. She taught at Lindstrom area schools and many former students remember her as their special 5th grade teacher. She retired from teaching in 1970.

Myrtle was an active church member at Trinity Lutheran Church in worship and women’s activities. After retirement Myrtle participated in many activities and hobbies. She was a member of Lakeside Garden Club, a book club, St. Croix Valley Doll Club, and Sons of Norway. She is widely remembered for her flowers and ceramic dolls. She loved traveling and visited many states, Guyana, Mexico, and Belize.

Since October 2003 until her death Myrtle had been a resident at the L.O. Simenstad Nursing Care Unit, Osceola, Wis., where she received loving care.

She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Berge, her sister Vera, and great grandson Gavin.

She is survived by son, Daryl (Donna) of Lindstrom; son, Berge (Peggy) of Spicer; son, Alan (Marilyn) of Chisago City; nine grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Funeral service 11 a.m., Thursday, August 24, 2006, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 13025 Newell Ave, Lindstrom, (651)257-5129. Visitation one hour prior to service. Burial at 3 p.m., at North Star Cemetery, St. Cloud, Minn. Grandstrand Funeral Home, Lindstrom, 651-257-4000, is handling arrangements.

---